Aaron Boone shares his honest reaction to Orioles’ big move

May 6, 2023; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA;New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) looks on against the Tampa Bay Rays ]during the fifth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles are not playing around when it comes to staying ahead of the New York Yankees, and Aaron Boone knows it.

The Orioles added former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes this week in a blockbuster trade with Milwaukee, giving them a legitimate ace to lead their rotation. That is worrying news for Boone and the Yankees, who finished a full 19 games behind Baltimore last season and are looking to close that gap in 2024.

On Saturday, however, Boone admitted that the trade made his job a fair bit more difficult.

“That can be a little bit of a problem,” Boone admitted Saturday, via Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. “That was my first reaction. He’s obviously an amazing pitcher going to a great team. We’ll see a lot of him and look forward to competing against the best, though.”

The Yankees have been looking for a high-end pitcher themselves this offseason, but have fallen short of the top names on the market. The Orioles’ move should not really change their strategy, but they are up against a talented young team that is now adding established stars. Boone is going to have a lot of work to do.